How to Apply Eyeliner Like a Pro

There's nothing quite like eyeliner to bring out your eyes, but if you don't do it quite right, you could be doing more harm than good. Here are a few tips to get perfect results.

Want to look more awake? Line your upper eyelid only. Eyeliner on the bottom lid can "drag" the eye down and make it look a bit droopy. By not lining the lower lid, you're also helping to avoid having your eyeliner smudge under the eye during the day, resulting in the dreaded raccoon eyes.

Liquids and gels provide high impact, budge-proof color that is best for the upper lid. While these types might seem more intimidating to use than a pencil, I promise you, they're a cinch to work with. Many liquid eyeliners nowadays are almost like felt-tipped markers - they're that easy to use. Gels, too, aren't as difficult as they may seem. I recently tried them for the first time during our eyeliner test, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily they glide on. I've become a convert! I love using the best gel in our test, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($23, amazon.com), in black. A little goes a long way — I'm thinking it's going to take forever to finish the jar, so it's also a great value.

MAC Cosmetics

Try using brown instead of black for a more natural look, especially during the day.

Apply eyeliner before putting on mascara (and just as with the liner, try using mascara only on the top lashes for a wide-awake look).

Want to define small eyes? Heavily lining the lower lid can actually make your eyes look smaller, not bigger. My eyes are already on the small side, and for years, unfortunately, I was making this mistake. Less is more! Now, I only line the top line, unless I'm going for a very smoky look.

If you do want to define your lower eyelid, use a light hand and then gently smudge or blend out the color which will help to make your eyes look bigger -obviously, a pencil is best for this job, or, for an even more subtle look, eye shadow in a light brown or taupe shade works very well. To avoid raccoon eyes, you really need a pencil that has true staying power. The MAC Pro Longwear Pencil ($19.50) is impressively longwearing and was the top pencil in our test, by far. I'm a complete convert — I don't think I'll ever use another pencil!